WASHINGTON, DC – With Kansas ranking 18^th in the country in methamphetamine use by young people, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts called for more funds for rural law enforcement’s fight against methamphetamine.

Roberts and Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) have written to urge the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee to fund the Rural Policing Institute (RPI) authorized in the 9/11 Commission Bill.

"The passage of this 9/11 Commission legislation was an important step toward providing the necessary training for our rural and tribal law enforcement agencies as they address public safety issues in rural areas, specifically meth trafficking and violence in schools and homes." Sen. Roberts and Salazar wrote. "We must now make the investments necessary to ensure the Rural Policing Institute has the resources it needs to fulfill its mission."

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s statistics for 2002-2005, Kansas was ranked 18th in the nation for "persons aged 12 or older reporting past year methamphetamine use."

Last year, Congress passed and the president signed into law the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. By a vote of 82-1 the Senate passed a bipartisan amendment (S.Amdt.280) to create the Rural Policing Institute. The bill will authorize funding of $35 million over six years and $5 million in Fiscal Year 2009 alone.

The RPI will assess the challenges confronting rural law enforcement agencies; develop and provide training programs specific to their needs; and conduct outreach to ensure they are aware of new training opportunities. "Law enforcement officers from communities large and small constitute the front-line of our homeland defense," said Senator Roberts. "It is undoubtedly in our national interest to ensure they have access to the best possible training. The RPI is the necessary vehicle to provide this training to our rural law enforcement agencies."

And, in a separate letter to the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee with Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), Senator Roberts called for $20 million to be appropriated for meth prevention campaigns in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 U.S. Department of Justice’s Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program.

The Senators said in the letter, "Meth use could be reduced significantly over a period of two to three years if federal funding were made available annually to execute meth preventions programs in those states where meth use and its societal impacts are a serious problem. While recent studies have shown teen meth use declining nationwide, those numbers do not reflect specific areas of the country where meth use is considerably higher than the national average. By executing saturated and broadly-based campaigns in those areas, the country can make significant progress in eradicating the drug."

Senator Roberts has long encouraged industry and federal officials to continue the progress that has been made in Kansas and nationwide on fighting the production and distribution of methamphetamine.

-30-